2012 Social Media Report: Users Spending 58% More Time On Social Media, Social App Usage More Than Doubles

In today’s 2012 Social Media Report from Nielsen, one thing was clear — social media usage shows no signs of slowing down. The biggest boon to the continued growth has undoubtedly been smartphones and mobile apps. In July of 2012, users averaged 88.48 minutes, a number that jumped 58% to 121.18 minutes in July of 2012.

While the overall number of minutes spent on social media has jumped up substantially, surprisingly the number of social media users on the web actually declined. Computers are still the main method of social usage but that number has dropped. In 2011 97% of all those active on social media used traditional computers while 94% used computers for social media in 2012, a 4% decrease. The biggest detractors to the computer are the tablet (usage up 3.5x in 2012,) and smart phones (usage up 9%in 2012.) Both the mobile web and mobile apps contributed to the increases up 82% and 85% respectively.

While social usage has seen substantial gains, some of the most interesting facts in the report substantiate social marketing & advertising. Of those polled, 17% feel more connected to brand seen on social networking websites. Social ads actually spur interactions as well. Over one fourth of social users polled have liked a social ad and 15% have shared a social ad. From an ROI/conversion standpoint, social ads again perform adequately. A solid 14% of users purchased products becomes of a social ad. Actions from social ads are greatly skewed by demographics, with Asians leading the way in overall social ad adoption:

Coupons were the most purchased item from social ads (18% of respondents), followed by internet purchases (10%) and in-store purchases (8%.)

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About The Author

Greg Finn is the Director of Marketing for Cypress North, a company that provides world-class social media and search marketing services and web & application development. He has been in the Internet marketing industry for 10+ years and specializes in Digital Marketing. You can also find Greg on Twitter (@gregfinn) or LinkedIn.

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http://www.pimediaservices.com/ Mark Weyland

I think people have been used to accessing social media website from their PC systems. Smartphones are comparatively newer. Moreover, different kinds of Mobile apps have been used by users since the time Smartphones came in the market.

I fell by the time Social media apps and mobile-specific-website versions of these social media websites came in, users were already comfortable with access from PCs. But this trend is slowly moving towards mobiles and tablets now. Though it is moving at a lower pace, it will soon grow.

http://www.qnary.com/ Qnary

Social media is a great way to reach your current and potential customers. Coupons and videos are a great way to drive more traffic to your social media pages, introduce your company and brand, and help you gain more followers.

http://www.HealthcareMarketingCOE.com/ Simon Sikorski MD

This is an enormous opportunity in healthcare that only the big brands are really leveraging.

For doctors … the only true ROI that 90% of doctors want – “Does that increase my patient volume for my expertise” – And that makes sense. Because in the long run social media is a highly effective educational tool that establishes a doctor’s reputation and expertise even before patients are looking for a doctor.

That’s the founding principle behind RecoverNOW and HMCOE’s research.

Trevor

88.48 to 121.18 is a 37% increase, not 58%. Where did you get that number?